Finally, the time is almost here. After years of rumors about ‘always online’, Kinect integration and impressive processing power, Microsoft will unveil their next gen console in 10 days, on May 21st 2013. What does the future have in store for us? Below you will find a wish list for the hardware side, as well as games that would be great to see on the system.

Next Xbox Hardware Wish List

Improved power and graphical capabilities, obviously. The difference should be big enough to warrant a new generation of hardware, and provide a futureproof console. It should be able to keep up with the PlayStation 4, so multiplatform games will be easy to port or developed simultaneously, and won’t suffer from clunky porting.

The console itself needs to be a lot less noisy and more durable. No more RROD-like debacles, it has to be reliable. I would prefer it to be smaller as well, something like the Wii or slightly bigger, but that’s probably too much to ask given the fact that it’s relatively new technology. An aesthetically pleasing design would be welcome, at least. It would be nice to get rid of the monstrous power adaptor as well.

Improved controller: functional d-pad, rechargeable out of the box, more durable. It also needs to be easier to sync controllers to the console. The Xbox 360 controller is great in general, so they could use that as their base to make an even better one.

For game storage Blu-Ray, or another large capacity medium. The advantage of Blu-Ray, aside from the size, is that they are very scratch resistant as opposed to dvds.

Bigger HDD (200GB at least, but I would like to see 1TB or more.) Especially when it uses a disc based format and you have the option to install your games, or if they want to offer more games as digital downloads, as this eats up a lot of space.

Free online. Microsoft could mimic Sony in this area: free for a basic membership, which includes online play, and a paid membership that offers a lot more value than it does right now.

Achievements and Gamerscore of Xbox 360 and Next combined, but also viewable separately. In other words, you can see someone’s total (both Xbox 360 and Next Xbox score), but you can also choose to view just Xbox 360 or just Xbox Next. This keeps things organized.

Next Xbox Games Wish List

It’s nice to think about the system itself, but what is most important in the end, is the library of games that are available for it. What titles would be great to see? Here is a list.

Condemned 3

The first two Condemned games were a refreshing mix between survival horror and first person action. They were high on atmosphere and tension. The improved graphical capabilities of the the new Xbox could enhance this even more, and the fighting system could become more sophisticated and realistic. Just take out the unnecessary multiplayer that made it’s debut in the second game.

Burnout

With Criterion Studios working on Need for Speed titles, it’s been a long time since we saw a new Burnout game. The launch of a next gen system could be a great time to revive the series. More processing power could for example lead to more interactivity with the world, and the idea to not only see your car fly to bits, but also everything it crashes into, is interesting already.

Alan Wake 2

This game has been rumored to be in development for the next Xbox for quite some time now, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. Build on what made the first game great, use the power of the system to provide lighting effects that are meaningful to the gameplay (since you fought enemies using light), and give us another engaging story, and this should be good.

Ryse

This seems pretty likely and rumors have indicated for a while now that the game has been moved to the next Xbox. If the console indeed comes with an improved Kinect camera, this could be the game that finally proves the device can really add something to a gaming experience that is worth it for everyone. The concept has always sounded good at least: kicking and hacking your way through ancient Rome is never a bad thing.

RARE title (Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie, Killer Instinct)

Just… anything worthwhile from RARE. This used to be one of the top developers in the past, and now they have been reduced to close to nothing. Some people claim all the talent has left already, but I just hold out hope. Come on, Microsoft. You have the studio, you have the IPs, you have the money. Use it!

Dead or Alive 6

With the Xbox and Xbox 360, Dead or Alive 3 and 4 respectively were titles that showed off the graphical capabilities of the new systems. Aside from that, they were great fighting games. The next Xbox should follow that tradition and have a new, beautiful looking installment in the series close to release.

Mirror’s Edge 2

Rumors about the sequel to the much appreciated first person game from 2008 have been steadily popping up, but no official word yet. The first one was only moderately successful, so for a publisher this is not a great incentive. Let’s hope EA will take the risk anyway. Mirror’s Edge wasn’t a perfect game, but it certainly was something special and original.

Gears of War

One could argue that the Gears of War series has seen its best days, and it’s time to put it to rest, but we could be proven wrong if the franchise gets reinvented on Microsoft’s next gen system. It would be a big name with an already large fanbase, so for a new console that could prove very helpful. 

Halo 5

Halo is the flagship franchise of the Xbox brand, putting Microsoft’s first console firmly on the map, and being one of the last big exclusives to launch on the Xbox 360. Since Halo 4, the series has been taken over from Bungie by 343 Studios, and we already know that two more games are planned right now. It’s not rocket science to conclude that Microsoft will bring the series to their next console. What will a new installment bring to the series? More impressive locations, consisting of space ships and strange planets? Open battles, with vehicles, on an even larger scale? Improved AI? Time will tell.

The Wii U has had a pretty rough start. Right now it’s facing one of the worst droughts in the history of Nintendo’s consoles, and sales aren’t up to expectations. Luckily for Wii U owners there is a lot on the horizon. Here are five (announced and unannounced) titles that could give the system a much needed injection of fun.

The Legend of Zelda

A Zelda game is a given, but we will probably have to wait a while for this one. When Nintendo unveiled The Wind Waker HD, they declared it was to tide us over until the next new Zelda game arrives. We got a taste of what it could look like with the E3 2011 tech demo, but the graphical style is still undecided. In any case, needless to say this is one to look forward to.

3D Mario platformer

Nintendo confirmed a new 3D Mario platformer will be playable at E3 2013. After Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, which were some of the best games of this generation, this should be interesting indeed. Hopefully Nintendo can make another game of similar quality, possibly using the unique features of the Wii U gamepad. What items will return, and what new ones will be introduced?

Donkey Kong Country Returns 2

The previous DKCR was a welcome surprise on the Wii, and we can assume Nintendo didn’t revive the series for just one game. Retro Studios proved other studios than Rare can make great installments in the series, so that shouldn’t be a cause for worry. Sidescrolling, banana collecting jungle gameplay in HD? Yes, please.

Metroid

This can be similar to the Prime series, or something entirely new, as long as it retains the atmosphere and exploration of unknown planets and deep space stations that made the Gamecube installments so memorable. The gamepad can be used for mechanics like scanning the environment or suit upgrades.

Super Smash Bros

This is one of those series that doesn’t have to innovate much, in fact, changing too much would probably result in fans being upset. They should just use this new installment (confirmed to be at E3 2013 in the shape of at least some screens) to finetune the existing mechanics further and build on what has made the games so popular. Also, of course we should expect new characters, items and environments, from new games as well as classics.

With the (presumably) imminent announcement of the PlayStation 4, it’s time to look at some of the games that would be great to see on Sony’s new console. Most of these titles, if they were to be announced, shouldn’t be expected in the console’s launch window, but somewhere during its lifetime.

Uncharted 4

This is a no brainer. Looking at what Naughty Dog was already able to achieve with the PlayStation 3 hardware, it’s exciting to think what they can pull off with a drastically better console. This game could be a great showcase for the new hardware. Naughty Dog is known to develop new IPs every gen, so the future of Uncharted isn’t entirely certain with the shift to a new console.

Onimusha

The Onimusha series saw four installments on the PlayStation 2, and none on its successor. It is time to revive this atmospheric feudal Japan hack and slasher, and it should be done in style. Think Resident Evil 4, and how it approached the series. Unfortunately, Capcom has stated there are currently no plans to revive the series. Still, never say never.

Final Fantasy 15

The Agni’s Philosophy demo gave us a taste of what a next gen Final Fantasy game could look like. Just imagine how a turn based fight with summons and magic moves could be with visuals like those. The battle system from Final Fantasy 13 was generally well received, even by those who didn’t like the rest of the game, so they could expand on that.

Metal Gear solid

Though not necessarily exclusive, the Metal Gear series has often been the showcase of PlayStation hardware. The series often pushes new boundaries and is among the best looking games of that generation. We already know the Fox Engine is scalable to next gen hardware, so it will be interesting to see what the already impressive engine can do on PlayStation 4.

Ratchet & Clank

This is a series that has steadily evolved with each new installment. There have never been huge changes in the core mechanics, but since they’re pretty unique games to begin with, this can be forgiven. Not to mention the fact that they are a lot of fun.

resident evil 7

After the mixed reviews Resident Evil 6 received, Capcom is going to look at what they can do with the series, and what the next step will be. There’s even the possibility of a reboot, bringing the series closer to its roots in the survival horror genre again. Chances are that this new installment one will be for the next generation consoles, since development usually takes pretty long. All this makes it hard to predict what to expect from it, but this also makes me curious about it.

DEVIL MAY CRY 5

A while ago Capcom stated that fans shouldn’t rule out Devil May Cry 5. It’s possible that after they break they had with Ninja Theory’s reboot, which has sold below expectations so far, this one returns to be a more traditional entry in the series. And what better moment to make a comeback than on fresh new hardware?

The Last Guardian / Final Fantasy Versus 13 / Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes

These are ambitious games that would probably benefit from being moved to PlayStation 4. The Last Guardian and Final Fantasy Versus 13 have both been delayed so many times, they may as well be moved to the next generation, and profit from the enhanced power. Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes has actually been rumored to be a next generation title, and since the FoxEngine is scalable to next gen, this does make a lot of sense.

Something brand new

While it’s great to see familiar franchises evolve on new hardware, there should also be room for completely new games. Here’s hoping Sony will surprise with something unexpected and promising.

February 1st – the gaming scene was turned upside down by a small teaser Sony released.

It is widely assumed, that in less than three weeks, on February 20th, Sony will share the first details of their next generation console, the PlayStation 4. Though most of the games will probably be saved for E3, the hype is very high. Here’s my wish list of what I’d like of the hardware for Sony’s next system:

Improved power

This is a no-brainer, but should still be mentioned. The next PlayStation should be a significant step up in terms of power, making releasing a successor worth the effort. Not only would it enhance the graphics of the games, but it would also give developers more options and thus more creative freedom.

Probability: Very high – If all the rumored specs are any indication, power won’t be an issue.

Easier to program for

The PS3 was apparently quite difficult for developers to program for. The PS4 should fix that. Rumors are that Sony will be using off the shelf hardware. The fact that studios like Kojima Productions and Square Enix have already made new engines that should make development a lot easier, helps as well.

Probability: High – Recent rumors have pointed in this direction, and it seems logical Sony will do what they can to make it happen to prevent inferior multiplatform games in the future.

Evolved DualShock

Sony will probably keep the controllers largely the same, since they are so intertwined with the identity of the PlayStation. But there are some small adjustments that could be made to improve the controller. Most importantly, better secondary shoulder buttons (trigger shape).

Probability: High – With PlayStation 3 Sony tried a completely new controller design, but never went through with it. It’s likely they will keep the DualShock’s basic design, but add some new functions and improvements. Rumors indicate touchpad functionality on the front and the rear.

Large HDD

With the rise of DLC and full digital download games, as well as optional installs for your retail titles, it’s nice to have a large chunk of space on your console that doesn’t run out too quickly.

Probability: Very high – Hard drives have grown larger and cheaper the past few years, so it’s only logical the new consoles will be able to store a lot more data. Hopefully the PlayStation 4 will contain at least 500GB of storage.

Faster Blu-Ray

Putting Blu-Ray technology in the PS3 gave Sony an edge over the competition in terms of storage space, and gave players a good Blu-Ray movie player at the same time. So I’m very glad they made this decision, but the downside was the slow reading speed of the device. This resulted in the necessity to install many of the games to the HDD, a lengthy process.

Probability: High – Blu-Ray is becoming more and more of a standard, so Sony will keep this format for the next generation. A faster drive would be very welcome, and will most likely be the case.

Reliability

If you are going to shell out a few hundred dollars and be one of the early adopters of a new piece of technology, it’s always nice if you can rely on some form of stability. Of course, technology comes with problems, and there always will be, but if Sony can keep them at a minimum, that would be greatly appreciated.

Probability: High – Technology will never be infallible, but for console manufacturers a high failure rate is expensive and causes negative publicity. For this reason, it can be assumed Sony will do everything to ensure the new machines will be high quality and reliable.

Backwards compatibility

Backwards compatibility on consoles is always a great thing – being able to keep playing the entire PlayStation 3 library on your PlayStation 4 would be very convenient. PlayStation 2 was backwards compatible with the PlayStation, and the early PlayStation 3 models were compatible with both PlayStation and PlayStation 2, but in later hardware releases the functionality was removed. Hopefully Sony will include it with at least the early models of their new console.

Probability: Somewhat likely – It can be a good selling point, especially around launch, and if PlayStation 4 uses Blu-Ray it shouldn’t be difficult to do from a technical standpoint. The only question is whether Sony will have to keep production costs low – especially if they’re planning to launch a powerful console at a attractive price. This one has a 50/50 chance I’d say.

The excitement for Sony’s incoming announcement is there – now let’s see if they can deliver. In any case, February 20th can’t come soon enough!